1. Field of Inventions
The present invention relates generally to a method for automatic removal of image artifacts and, more specifically, to a method for detecting image artifacts within known regions of a scannable area and directing a processor to exclude the regions within which image artifacts are detected from the scannable area.
2. Description of the Related Art
Some flat bed scanners employ an Automatic Document Feeder (hereinafter xe2x80x9cADFxe2x80x9d) which, generally, is positioned above a scannable area of the scanner. Typically, the ADF includes one or several rollers or belts positioned above an edge portion of the scannable area. The rollers or belts advance an object to be scanned over the scannable area and then withdraw the object after it has been scanned.
In some instances, an object to be scanned is smaller than the scannable area and is placed by hand over the scannable area. Depending upon its placement over the scannable area, the object may not be positioned at the edge beneath the rollers. When this happens, the resulting image will include a whole or partial image of the roller, or xe2x80x9croller artifactxe2x80x9d. Other image artifacts such as xe2x80x9cmargin or edge artifactsxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cfiducial marker artifactsxe2x80x9d can also be present depending upon the size of the scanned object and its position over the scannable area. Additionally, a xe2x80x9cdocument holder artifactxe2x80x9d (from a document holder) can be present in some circumstances. Image artifacts can also appear when a transparent or translucent object such as a transparency is scanned.
Thus, a need exists for a method of automatically detecting such image artifacts and eliminating them from scanned images.
A method for automatic removal of image artifacts in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention employs first a profile-based processing step and then a sector-based processing step. The profile-based processing step employs idealized image artifact profile information to identify known image artifacts within regions of a scannable area where it is possible for the image artifacts to be present. The sector-based processing step is a similar but more geographically focused analysis which identifies partial image artifacts within the aforementioned known regions. Regions and/or sectors within which image artifacts (whole or partial) are identified are excluded from the scannable area.
A method for automatic removal of image artifacts in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of: scanning a scannable area to provide image data, the scannable area including at least one region where it is possible for image artifacts to be present; processing portions of the image data corresponding to the at least one region to determine whether an image artifact is present in the at least one region; and excluding from the scannable area regions where an image artifact is determined to be present.
A method for automatic removal of image artifacts in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of: receiving image data pertaining to a known region of a scannable area where an image artifact may be present; processing the image data to determine whether the image artifact is present within the known region; and when an image artifact is present in the known region, controlling a processor to exclude the known region from the scannable area.
A method for automatic removal of image artifacts in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of: receiving image data pertaining to a scannable area; processing the image data to determine whether image artifacts are present within predetermined regions within the scannable area; and generating an image from the image data pertaining to regions of the scannable area for which no image artifacts are determined to be present.